My top 10 public golf courses in the Houston area

No. 10: Augusta Pines Golf Club in Spring, Texas was inspired by Pinehurst and Augusta National. (Courtesy of Augusta Pines G.C.)No. 9: Wilderness Golf Course is a Jeff Brauer design that opened in 2004. (Courtesy of Wilderness G.C.)No. 8: Wildcat Golf Club's Highlands Course sits on an old oil field and landfill in the shadow of NRG Stadium. (Courtesy of Wildcat G.C.)No. 7: Amen Corner at Augusta National is replicated at Tour 18 Houston, right down to the stone bridges. (Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor)No. 6: Meadowbrook Farms Golf Club is one of Greg Norman's lesser known but better designs. (Courtesy of Meadowbrook Farms G.C.)No. 5: Memorial Park Golf Course has been ranked among the top municipal golf courses in the country. (Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor)No. 4: BlackHorse Golf Club northwest of Houston has two terrific Jim Hardy-Peter Jacobsen layouts. (Courtesy of BlackHorse G.C.)No. 3: Woodforest Golf Club north of The Woodlands just keeps getting better. (Courtesy of Woodforest G.C.)No. 2: The Tradition Course at Cypresswood has played host to numerous PGA Tour qualifying tournaments. (Courtesy of Cypresswood G.C.)No. 1: Conditions don't get much better than they do at the Golf Club of Houston, home of the Shell Houston Open. (Courtesy of the Golf Club of Houston)

HOUSTON -- One of the great things about the host course for the PGA Tour's Shell Houston Open is that it's open to the public. And although the rack rate, which includes a forecaddie, is a little more than $150, Houston-area daily-fee golf might be among the most affordable in the country.

In fact, the Golf Club of Houston (formerly Redstone Golf Club) is the only daily-fee course in the area significantly over $100. Black Horse Golf Club and Wildcat Golf Club are right around $100 during peak times on weekends, but you can usually play them for less. Most quality courses in the Houston area are in the $40 to $60 range.

So if you're in town for the Shell Houston Open or in Houston on business or pleasure any other time of the year, here are my picks for the top 10 courses in the Houston area, regardless of price.

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For the most part, I kept the courses within a half hour or so of downtown, with the exception of The Wilderness in Lake Jackson, southwest of Houston.

Top 10 public courses in Houston

Spring, TexasThis former home of the Insperity Championship on the Champions Tour is owned by one of the previous owners of Tour 18. But instead of 18 replica holes, Augusta Pines is inspired by Augusta National and Pinehurst to create an enjoyable championship test.

Lake Jackson, TexasFor those not familiar with the area, this Jeff Brauer-designed Audubon Sanctuary course qualifies as a hidden gem. It's a solid championship golf course on a beautiful piece of land with imaginative holes, including a par 5 that ends with a green that's 180 feet long.

HoustonThere are two 18-hole courses at Wildcat, both designed by Roy Case, both built on a landfill and old oil field, and both feature great views of the city and NRG Stadium. The Highlands is links style and perhaps the better of the two courses, while Wildcat's Lakes Course, as you might guess, has plenty of water and actually a little elevation change.

Humble, TexasThis is the original replica course. And while there are other courses that have tried to mimic Amen Corner at Augusta, Tour 18 Houston might have the best rendition. Plus, there's the island green from the PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, church pew bunkers of Oakmont, The Blue Monster and many other fun imitations.

Katy, TexasOne of Greg Norman's better designs, Meadowbrook Farms made quite a splash when it opened in 1999. The layout features some of the area's best risk-reward holes, especially when it comes to the par 5s.

HoustonThis 1936 John Bredemus design in the middle of the city played host to the Houston Open from 1951 to 1963 and was wonderfully restored in 1995. Today, at more than 7,300 yards, this parkland layout is the home of the Greater Houston City Amateur.

Cypress, TexasAnother terrific, 36-hole facility, the South Course is more memorable of the two Jim Hardy-Peter Jacobsen designs northwest of Houston, primarily because of the quarry holes on the back nine. Always meticulously maintained, the facility also has excellent practice facilities, dining and a golf shop.

Montgomery, TexasDesigned by local resident and former PGA Tour player Steve Elkington, Woodforest Golf Club, located just north of The Woodlands, just keeps getting better with time. The 27-hole facility has played host to numerous high-level amateur events and Champions Tour qualifying. It also just got a brand new clubhouse.

Spring, TexasDown to 36 holes after one course closed a few years ago, the pine tree-lined Cypresswood Golf Club has two solid layouts in the Traditions Course and Cypress Course. Both have played host to Shell Houston Open qualifier, but the Tradition Course, which has been the site of PGA Tour Qualifying tournaments, is exceptional with its beautiful routing, no homes and excellent conditioning.

Humble, Texas Although the course isn't very walkable, the host site for the Shell Houston Open has the best collection of holes of any daily fee in the area. It's also the best conditioned, especially in the spring right before and after the Masters, since it's heavily overseeded. Most importantly, architect Rees Jones created 18 memorable holes with plenty of water and a dynamite finishing stretch.

Mike Bailey is a senior staff writer based in the Houston area. Focusing primarily on golf in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America, he contributes course reviews, travel stories and features as well as the occasional equipment review. An award-winning writer and past president of Texas Golf Writers Association, he has more than 20 years in the golf industry. Before accepting his current position in 2008, he was on staff at PGA Magazine, The Golfweek Group and AvidGolfer Magazine. Follow Mike on Twitter at @Accidentlgolfer.

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